classic mystery and detective stories-第63章

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I　am　ashamed　to　say　that　my　first　movement　was　to　clutch　the　check

which　he　had　left　with　me；　and　which　I　was　determined　to　present

the　very　moment　the　bank　opened。　　I　know　the　importance　of　these

things；　and　that　men　change　their　mind　sometimes。　　I　sprang　through

the　streets　to　the　great　banking　house　of　Manasseh　in　Duke　Street。

It　seemed　to　me　as　if　I　actually　flew　as　I　walked。　　As　the　clock

struck　ten　I　was　at　the　counter　and　laid　down　my　check。



The　gentleman　who　received　it；　who　was　one　of　the　Hebrew

persuasion；　as　were　the　other　two　hundred　clerks　of　the

establishment；　having　looked　at　the　draft　with　terror　in　his

countenance；　then　looked　at　me；　then　called　to　himself　two　of　his

fellow　clerks；　and　queer　it　was　to　see　all　their　aquiline　beaks

over　the　paper。



〃Come；　come！〃　said　I；　〃don't　keep　me　here　all　day。　　Hand　me　over

the　money；　short；　if　you　please！〃　for　I　was；　you　see；　a　little

alarmed；　and　so　determined　to　assume　some　extra　bluster。



〃Will　you　have　the　kindness　to　step　into　the　parlor　to　the

partners？〃　the　clerk　said；　and　I　followed　him。



〃What；　AGAIN？〃　shrieked　a　bald…headed；　red…whiskered　gentleman；

whom　I　knew　to　be　Mr。　Manasseh。　　〃Mr。　Salathiel；　this　is　too　bad！

Leave　me　with　this　gentleman；　S。〃　　And　the　clerk　disappeared。



〃Sir；〃　he　said；　〃I　know　how　you　came　by　this：　the　Count　de　Pinto

gave　it　you。　　It　is　too　bad！　　I　honor　my　parents；　I　honor　THEIR

parents；　I　honor　their　bills！　　But　this　one　of　grandma's　is　too

badit　is；　upon　my　word；　now！　　She've　been　dead　these　five…and…

thirty　years。　　And　this　last　four　months　she　has　left　her　burial

place　and　took　to　drawing　on　our　'ouse！　　It's　too　bad；　grandma；　it

is　too　bad！〃　and　he　appealed　to　me；　and　tears　actually　trickled

down　his　nose。



〃Is　it　the　Countess　Sidonia's　check　or　not？〃　I　asked；　haughtily。



〃But；　I　tell　you；　she's　dead！　　It's　a　shame！it's　a　shame！it　is；

grandmamma！〃　and　he　cried；　and　wiped　his　great　nose　in　his　yellow

pocket　handkerchief。　　〃Look　yearwill　you　take　pounds　instead　of

guineas？　　She's　dead；　I　tell　you！　　It's　no　go！　　Take　the　pounds

one　tausend　pound！ten　nice；　neat；　crisp　hundred…pound　notes；　and

go　away　vid　you；　do！〃



〃I　will　have　my　bond；　sir；　or　nothing；〃　I　said；　and　I　put　on　an

attitude　of　resolution　which　I　confess　surprised　even　myself。



〃Wery　veil；〃　he　shrieked；　with　many　oaths；　〃then　you　shall　have

notingha；　ha；　ha！noting　but　a　policeman！　　Mr。　Abednego；　call　a

policeman！　　Take　that；　you　humbug　and　impostor！〃　and　here　with　an

abundance　of　frightful　language　which　I　dare　not　repeat；　the

wealthy　banker　abused　and　defied　me。



Au　bout　du　compte；　what　was　I　to　do；　if　a　banker　did　not　choose　to

honor　a　check　drawn　by　his　dead　grandmother？　　I　began　to　wish　I　had

my　snuff…box　back。　　I　began　to　think　I　was　a　fool　for　changing　that

little　old…fashioned　gold　for

this　slip　of　strange　paper。



Meanwhile　the　banker　had　passed　from　his　fit　of　anger　to　a　paroxysm

of　despair。　　He　seemed　to　be　addressing　some　person　invisible；　but

in　the　room：　〃Look　here；　ma'am；　you've　really　been　coming　it　too

strong。　　A　hundred　thousand　in　six　months；　and　now　a　thousand　more！

The　'ouse　can't　stand　it；　it　WON'T　stand　it；　I　say！　　What？　　Oh！

mercy；　mercy！



As　he　uttered　these　words；　A　HAND　fluttered　over　the　table　in　the

air！　　It　was　a　female　hand：　that　which　I　had　seen　the　night　before。

That　female　hand　took　a　pen　from　the　green　baize　table；　dipped　it

in　a　silver　inkstand；　and　wrote　on　a　quarter　of　a　sheet　of　foolscap

on　the　blotting　book；　〃How　about　the　diamond　robbery？　　If　you　do

not　pay；　I　will　tell　him　where　they　are。〃



What　diamonds？　what　robbery？　what　was　this　mystery？　　That　will

never　be　ascertained；　for　the　wretched　man's　demeanor　instantly

changed。　　〃Certainly；　sir；oh；　certainly；〃　he　said；　forcing　a

grin。　　〃How　will　you　have　the　money；　sir？　　All　right；　Mr。　Abednego。

This　way　out。〃



〃I　hope　I　shall　often　see　you　again；〃　I　said；　on　which　I　own　poor

Manasseh　gave　a　dreadful　grin；　and　shot　back　into　his　parlor。



I　ran　home；　clutching　the　ten　delicious；　crisp　hundred　pounds；　and

the　dear　little　fifty　which　made　up　the　account。　　I　flew　through

the　streets　again。　　I　got　to　my　chambers。　　I　bolted　the　outer

doors。　　I　sank　back　in　my　great　chair；　and　slept。　。　。　。



My　first　thing　on　waking　was　to　feel　for　my　money。　　Perdition！

Where　was　I？　　Ha！on　the　table　before　me　was　my　grandmother's

snuff…box；　and　by　its　side　one　of　those　awfulthose　admirable

sensation　novels；　which　I　had　been　reading；　and　which　are　full　of

delicious　wonder。



But　that　the　guillotine　is　still　to　be　seen　at　Mr。　Gale's；　No。　47；

High　Holborn；　I　give　you　MY　HONOR。　　I　suppose　I　was　dreaming　about

it。　　I　don't　know。　　What　is　dreaming？　　What　is　life？　　Why　shouldn't

I　sleep　on　the　ceiling？and　am　I　sitting　on　it　now；　or　on　the

floor？　　I　am　puzzled。　　But　enough。　　If　the　fashion　for　sensation

novels　goes　on；　I　tell　you　I　will　write　one　in　fifty　volumes。　　For

the　present；　DIXI。　　But　between　ourselves；　this　Pinto；　who　fought

at　the　Colosseum；　who　was　nearly　being　roasted　by　the　Inquisition；

and　sang　duets　at　Holyrood；　I　am　rather　sorry　to　lose　him　after

three　little　bits　of　Roundabout　Papers。　　Et　vous？







Bourgonef





I



AT　A　TABLE　D'HOTE





At　the　close　of　February；　1848；　I　was　in　Nuremberg。　　My　original

intention　had　been　to　pass　a　couple　of　days　there　on　my　way　to

Munich；　that　being；　I　thought；　as　much　time　as　could　reasonably　be

spared　for　so　small　a　city；　beckoned　as　my　footsteps　were　to　the

Bavarian　Athens；　of　whose　glories　of　ancient　art　and　German

Renaissance　I　had　formed　expectations　the　most　exaggerated

expectations　fatal　to　any　perfect　enjoyment；　and　certain　to　be

disappointed；　however　great　the　actual　merit　of　Munich　might　be。

But　after　two　days　at　Nuremberg　I　was　so　deeply　interested　in　its

antique　sequestered　life；　the　charms　of　which　had　not　been　deadened

by　previous　anticipations；　that　I　resolved　to　remain　there　until　I

had　mastered　every　detail　and　knew　the　place　by　heart。



I　have　a　story　to　tell　which　will　move　amidst　tragic　circumstances

of　too　engrossing　a　nature　to　be　disturbed　by　archaeological

interests；　and　shall　not；　therefore；　minutely　describe　here　what　I

observed　in　Nuremberg；　although　no　adequate　description　of　that

wonderful　city　has　yet　fallen　in　my　way。　　To　readers　unacquainted

with　this　antique　place；　it　will　be　enough　to　say　that　in　it　the

old　German　life　seems　still　to　a　great　extent　rescued　from　the　all…

devouring；　all…equalizing　tendencies　of　European　civilization。　　The

houses　are　either　of　the　fifteenth　and　sixteenth　centuries；　or　are

constructed　after　those　ancient　models。　　The　citizens　have

preserved　much　of　the　simple　manners　and　customs　of　their

ancestors。　　The　hurrying　feet　of　commerce　and　curiosity　pass

rapidly　by；　leaving　it　sequestered　from　the　agitations　and　the

turmoils　of　metropolitan　existence。　　It　is　as　quiet　as　a　village。

During　my　stay　there　rose　in　its　quiet　streets　the　startled　echoes

of　horror　at　a　crime　unparalleled　in　its　annals；　which；　gathering

increased　horror　from　the　very　peacefulness　and　serenity　of　the

scene；　arrested　the　attention　and　the　sympathy　in　a　degree　seldom

experienced。　　Before　narrating　that；　it　will　be　necessary　to　go

back　a　little；　that　my　own　connection　with　it　may　be　intelligible；

especially　in　the　fanciful　weaving　together　of　remote　conjectures

which　strangely　involved　me　in　the　story。



The　table　d'hote　at　the　Bayerischer　Hof　had　about　thirty　visitors

all；　with　one　exception；　of　that　local　commonplace　which　escapes

remark。　　Indeed　this　may　almost　always　be　said　of　tables　d'hote；

though　there　is　a　current　belief；　which　I　cannot　share；　of　a　table

d'hote　being　very　delightfulof　one　being　certain　to　meet　pleasant

people　there。〃　　It　may　be　so。　　For　many　years　I　believed　it　was　so。

The　general　verdict　received　my　assent。　　I　had　never　met　those

delightful　people；　but　was　always　expecti